Concerns have been raised about the recycling schemes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s, following an investigation revealing significant flaws.
- The Everyday Plastic and EIA UK investigation tracked 40 plastic waste bundles using Apple tracking devices from July 2023 to February 2024.
- The investigation found a considerable portion of the plastic waste was transported overseas and incinerated instead of being recycled.
- A significant amount of the tracked waste ended up in Turkey, where it was converted into fuel pellets or burned for energy.
- The controversy arises as both supermarkets claim progress towards their packaging recyclability targets.
A thorough investigation by Everyday Plastic and the Environmental Investigation Agency UK has uncovered concerning practices in the recycling operations of the major supermarkets, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Using Apple tracking devices, 40 bundles of soft plastic waste were monitored over several months, revealing the unexpected final destinations of the waste.
The evidence suggests that instead of being recycled, as promised in the front-of-store schemes, a significant proportion of the plastic waste was transported over 25,000 kilometres across various locations, including overseas. Astonishingly, only a mere one bundle was successfully downcycled within the UK.
Notably, seven of these bundles were transformed into fuel pellets, five were incinerated for energy, and four were downcycled into low-grade plastic products in Turkey. Such outcomes run contrary to the objectives of the recycling initiatives purported by these retailers.
Amidst these revelations, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have reiterated their commitments to recyclability goals. Alison Colclough, a director at Everyday Plastic, highlighted that the presented schemes distract from the underlying issue of excessive plastic production, stating, “far too much unnecessary plastic packaging is being produced.”
In defense, Sainsbury’s acknowledged instances where contaminated materials necessitated conversion for energy recovery. The supermarket chains maintain that efforts are ongoing to enhance the recycling process, with Tesco outlining a strategic approach to reduce, reuse, and recycle packaging where possible.
The investigation has illustrated critical deficiencies in the recycling schemes, undermining the environmental intentions of these operations.
